Two years ago, on Halloween, I wrote up this very orange 1973 Ford Mustang Grandé. While a bit weathered, it was still in pretty good shape, albeit with some very old whitewalls that were slowly going flat. Since then I have seen it a few times, and it was still marking time at the used car lot.

Earlier this year, when there was still melting snow all over town, I pulled over to take a look. It was still in good shape, and had accumulated a new set of tires along the way. But still, there it sat. Doesn’t anyone like the 1971-73 Mustangs? And it’s in such a bright and cheerful color combination, too!

Grandé was the luxury Mustang from 1968 to 1973. Usually, it meant a modestly-powered Mustang with plush interior and vinyl roof. It was only available on the Mustang hardtop–no Sportsroof Grandés ever saw the light of day.

And how about that interior! Perfect to take to that Halloween party.

A bit tattered, perhaps, but still serviceable. And in Technicolor, too.

There has been a lot of ink spilled on the “Clydesdale” Mustangs, but I like them. The total dimensions really weren’t drastically different from earlier, more valuable Mustangs: less than four inches in total length when compared to a ’68 model. A Marquis or Continental it wasn’t.

Since I took these pictures last March, the car lot has appeared to have gone out of business, as there are no cars left, save a couple of pickups with attached snowplows at the back. I hope this Mustang got rescued!

Obviously not, with the dual exhausts. I think Tom was projecting here. In reality, the sixes were rather uncommon by this stage of the Mustang’s development. There were some, but not very common by 1971.

What can I say. It’s an early ’70s car, and I don’t think there were any American cars from that time that I do not like. It’s not the performance car I think a Mustang should be. I much prefer the ’71-’73 Mach 1 fastbacks of that era. They were my dream car when I was a teenager. Now, at 55, I prefer the mid ’60s models. The only Mustangs that I actually didn’t like though were the Fox bodies, and the new 2015 model.

Agree about there not really being a bad early seventies car (at least style-wise). It was if Detroit knew it was going to be their last chance for largely unfettered design, and they were going to make the best of it.Frankly, I’m not sure Detroit has really ever recovered.

By my memory, these were mostly V8 cars, though probably mostly 302s. Really, these seem to have been rehabilitated a bit. By the 1980s, their reputation was garbage and nobody wanted them at all. Now, I don’t dislike them nearly as much as I used to.

My aunt bought one of these in 1969 and knowing I was a real “car nut” she let me drive it a few times. After her 2 V8 Mustangs (a 66 and a 68) this car struck me as being a Thunderbird. ..in a slightly smaller package. Her’s had the 302 and automatic combo but with the extra sound deadening you couldn’t really hear the engine. Even then, I figured Ford was “losing the plot” with the Mustang.
Hope this car didn’t end up crushed.

There seems to be a decent following for the hi-po 1971-73 Mustangs, like the Mach 1’s and of course the 1971 Boss 351. These Grandes though didn’t really fit in with the Mustang enthusiast crowd and still don’t to this day. This car looks in decent shape but I bet if it did get sold it went cheap.

These Grandes, Berlinettas, Esprit editions etc. are largely forgotten. This was Mary Tyler Moore’s Mustang (well, she had a convertible in the show), and these were definitely not muscle cars, just something “sporty” for younger women and empty-nester wives, including the wives of several of my Dad’s colleagues who as I recall vivdly navigated various softy Challengers, Barracudas, Firebirds and definitely Mustangs, almost always in either vivid pastels or lurid browns.

I remember your first post on this car. Count me in as a fan, and that color combination is perfect. I’ve concluded that the 71-73 coupe looks better with the vinyl top. It’s the only instance where I think a vinyl roof improves the look of a car, as I normally disapprove such a thing.

These cars have a worse reputation than they deserve. At the time, I think it was a logical extension of the lower, longer, wider school of thought. Everybody’s second generation ponycar got larger by 1970-71. As someone else noted, this was the non-enthusiast’s Mustang. Secretaries, empty nesters, etc., a nice personal car if you didn’t need 24 feet of lumber hauling capability. Or 360 HP worth of ass-hauling capability.

In some regards, this car is a brougham, pony car style. Not really a road scorcher and a tad bit small for the conventional definition of brougham (whatever nebulous definition it is), but enough for the person who doesn’t need a whole lot.

15-20 years ago, I wouldn’t have given this a second look, but now, it’s on my radar.

I’ve always liked these cars and almost bought one in 1972. I had made a deal on a low mileage dark green 71 and when I went back to the dealer to pick it up, they had just gotten in a truckload of the new Maverick LDO’s – one of which I ended up buying for close to the same price as that of the lightly used Mustang (both cars had the 302).

I think this car looks best in a solid color without the vinyl top. A friend had the Cougar equivalent and it was a decent car. People who think it was bloated – as noted above, look at the current model.

The E body twins too frankly, The Mustang still had such a mid 60s vibe to it’s design, whereas the Fs and Es were very smooth, swoopy designs. If this were 1971 and were in the market for a brand new pony car(which I probably would be) I’d only be picking the Mustang if my only other choice was a Javelin, which frankly only loses out due to even more ancient underpinnings than the Mustang. A ‘Cuda or Challenger 340 or a Firebird Formula would be on the top of my list.

The standard chromed out nose and buttressed roofline just kill this generation for me. I love the Sportsroof and am pretty fond of the vert IF they have the Mach 1 front end treatment, but coupe form no way. Grande? I’ll take the equivelant Cougar please, just as the natural forces intend.

The most interesting styling element of the ’71-’73 Mustang coupe is Ford’s ‘tunnelback’ rear window treatment. While Ford arguably did the best typical fastback, with the tunnelback, it was just the opposite, and it has to do with the way the sail panels curve. It wasn’t just the Mustang, either, as the full-size ’69-’70 Fords would have an idential window styling.

I would guess this was a take on what I think was the first car to use tunnelback, the 1964 GTO. While it was okay on the Ferrari, it just didn’t work as well as the straight panels that GM and Chrysler would later use. Even the earlier Ferrari GTO had a better rear window than the sail panel cars (of which I believe only three were built).

In fact, how about a CC on the evolution (and ultimate death, primarily due to the aerodynamic havoc it wreaked on NASCAR tracks) of this rather interesting design feature? To me, nothing says the sixties like a ’66-67 GM intermediate with the sail panels, or a second generation Dodge Charger. How about it, Paul?

These cars have really started to grow on me. I really like the tunnelled backlight and the plusher interior makes it more of a personal car. The car is smaller than a Riviera or T bird but still big enough. The stock motors were pretty choked down for anti smog but can easily be upgraded or replaced. And they are not going to be any cheaper than they are today.

I’ve never had any dislike for the fastbacks of this generation (especially in Mach 1 trim, naturally) but I didn’t used to care for the coupes. Now? They’re growing on me. As has been mentioned several times, though, they don’t seem very Mustang-y to me. Maybe these should have simply been the “Grande” as the Torino Elite became simply “Elite” a couple years later, with the fastback keeping the Mustang name and a standard V8.

Yes, yes, I know the ’64 to ’69 Mustangs sold in much bigger proportion as I6 “secretary” cars than as V8 fire-breathers, but even a base trim I6 ’65 notch still looks sporty despite the road performance not backing it up. By ’69, not so much, by ’71 there was a very sharp dichotomy between the sporty ‘stangs and the broughamy ‘stangs.

(The slot mags help this car a lot, BTW. I think I would find it far less desirable with hubcaps.)

Actually–and I don’t mean to nitpick–this is a 1972. You can tell by the nameplate on the trunk lid; the 1971s had M U S T A N G spelled out in individual letters (except for the Mach 1 and Boss 351). (And you can tell how obsessed I am with these cars by how I knew that!)